The closing out of a year always makes me want to look back and I am usually amazed about how much has happened in just twelve-months. \u00a0\u00a0Like most years, 2016 was mostly good with just a couple of things I could have lived without.\u00a0 Hopefully it was the same for you, too.\u00a0<\/p>
If I look back on my career as an RT, it\u2019s pretty much like that as well. I have enjoyed almost all of my time as an RT, but there have definitely been some challenges along the way.\u00a0 Recently someone who is considering becoming an RT asked me two questions: \u201cWhat do you like most about being an RT?\u201d and \u201cWhat do you find most difficult?\u201d\u00a0 I think my answers were quite similar to how a lot of RTs would have responded, especially those of you who have been practicing for a long time. \u00a0I have always loved being part of the team \u2013 being part of something bigger than myself.\u00a0 But the challenge has been and often continues to be that we have had to push, to be recognized as an equal member of that team.\u00a0 \u00a0I still hear about Rapid Response Teams that don\u2019t have RTs on them (hello\u2026it has \u201cRRT\u201d right in the name!).\u00a0\u00a0 And I probably get at least one call\/email a week from an RT who is trying to convince their employer\/colleagues that they have the necessary skills to provide one type of patient care service or another.\u00a0 So from my perspective of over 31 years as an RT, the struggle for place and recognition continues.\u00a0<\/p>
All of that could be a bit depressing if we didn\u2019t look back and see how far that struggle has taken us as a profession \u2013 even if they have at times seemed to be very tiny, incremental changes.\u00a0 We have gone from cleaning and circuiting vents in a back room to managing ECMO in the ICU \u2013 from being tank jockeys to Anesthesia Assistants.\u00a0 So all the RTs who have come before us, as well as those who are still in the game and continue to push forward, deserve the credit for all the incredible advancements in our profession.<\/p>
We are a small profession and so sometimes our voice is drowned out by larger, more influential groups.\u00a0 But having recently had the opportunity to take a closer look at RT practice in other countries, I have come to realize how truly amazing the RT role is in Canada.\u00a0 Our practice is recognized, envied and emulated internationally and so we are definitely on the right track. We just need to continue to push the envelope because we know we have even more we can offer to the team and to our patients.<\/p>
Wishing you a safe and relaxing holiday (and quiet shifts for those who are working). \u00a0The future of \u00a0Respiratory Therapy continues to be a bright one!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The closing out of a year always makes me want to look back and I am usually amazed about how much has happened in just twelve-months. \u00a0\u00a0Like most years, 2016 was mostly good with just a couple of things I could have lived without.\u00a0 Hopefully it was the same for you, too.\u00a0If I look back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,16,25,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-employers-blog","category-members-blog","category-practice-blog","category-students-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n